Clamp for building forms



Oct. 23, 1951 E. J. MOGOUGH 2,572,366

CLAMP FOR BUILDING FORMS Filed Nov. 19, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 v; 7 12V M/JKM Oct. 23, 1951 E. J. MOGOUGH 2,572,366

CLAMP FOR BUILDING FORMS Filed Nov. 19, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN VEN TOR.

5M wz yn i Patented Oct. 23, 1951 I amazes W QI GF BMS Earlflack-MeGough, Costa- Mcsa alif-.-"- Applicationn-Noven benlil, 1949; Serial;No..128,432

This invention ,relates, to an improved clamp:- for Holding; bjuilding forms, having particular reference to, clamps for temporarily, locking such structures as thefformsfused invth'e-rp ouringfand forming. of concrete walls.

A'principal Obi ct of this invention "is to provide clampingvmeansnby which building formsma-y be quickly and easi13'?,, lockedfirrplace and asnuickly: and easily unlocked jarid'separated without wastage of lumber;

Another object of thefinventiom is to-provideclamping; means capable of" holding building'- forms at a:- true right angle; as T' for the corner of 'a' wall, and'requiring nospecial"supplementary-' forms; metallic or-wood'em fast-enedto the building forms; b'llt'OIflYf'thB ordiinarrwales of twoby-four lumber "or *the"like-commonlymsed and-- available, these wales b'eing unattached to' the wall forms asused-with *thisinvention and therefore being available for"- re-usewithout loss or injury:

Still another obj ect of "the invention -is to pro vide-clampingmeans for use inconnection with loose-wales; by whieirwalesm-ay be olamped w-hen- I out of alignment thereby' savingrtime and labor in the application of the waleswoathe containedforms.

The -inventi'on possessesother objects -anduse= ful advantages-*whicliwill b'e pointedout asthe following -description of apreferred embodiment r of the-invention:proceeds; or'-"w-l1ieh wi11--beap-- parent from that description considered incon neetio-rr with the accompanying drawings; in which:

Figure 1' is -a perspective "-vie'w showing-a pair of clamping members embodying" the principles: of "this invention;'in position to clampassociated' pairs of walesat=a-rightangle to support-corner forms for awalij Figure is aperspective 1 view or oneof the clamping-members shown-in Figure- 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view-showing-how-theclampingmembers illustrated in Figures 1 and-'2 may be-usedwithan associatedmember; also giClaimsa (Cl. 25-131) that it"h'as'a cross-'arm" between the head- 9 andtlie 'cros's'-arm"8 "corresponding to an anchor stock: However; the cross=arm's"8and"l I lie'in one plane'as in 'a'conventionaiized representation ofan anchor,'"rather"thanat right an'gl'esas' isusuallithecase with theflukesand stock'of an actual anehor. The'cross=arm 8"is'p'erpen di'cu'l'ar to -the shank I rather thambeing'curved and may"besli ghtlreambered'on'" its"innersu-r= facel 2;" to provide a wedge=shaped-h'olding" edge IS', the better" to"'inderrt"and*to grip a pieceof linnber: The cross" arm" I I" may also becambered" on' itssiztle- I5 toward th'e'h'eadfi toprovide"a"rela= tively narrow holding surface I6, for the same purpose'as-theedgfl 3? At theendsof theprossarm'- I I are points-I 'I; swepttowards the cross arm 8- and outwardlv beyond the plane-of* the side-l5 The head s is soformed -asto provide-a curves? surface -Ill orr the' side of the -head opposite to-= th'e direction ofextension of 1 thepoints I l this surface-encompassin g the eye I I] and= E providing a convex-seat=upon which a bolt-head ofiwbdlt passing through tire-eye In 'may rest. It wiitbe understood -thatthe term bolt-head -ie inclusive of parts-of smli1ar bow-retaining funetion suclv as a nu-tor a washer; Theconvemseat LI 8: may

conveniently be-formednbyicurvingethe head; 9 lsos that atth'ertransverse diameterrofrthe eyeal0 it: is ofi'setefrom the plane ot the shankflj the-:end I9 of .the1.head:.-.th'en recurvingsso aswtosbeaofiset from the planeeofathe shame inathe :opposited direction. The eyer lus opens eradtallymo thenon- Vex-582L174 8 andis elongated the axial-direction; ofzthe: shanlez'l' toi vpermaitra; boltrreceived: thereina torsassumeinzrelatiomato :the shank 1 ranobliquei: positionsin .whichztheiend il Siholds .thecbolt sub-- stantially ir r-the p lanerperpendicular to the -cross arms 8 and- I I aandilimitsathe degreei o obliquityirnthat .planel Theaelongatiorr otithexeyeil Il -may take the form of am enlargement of th e eye towardlthe convex seat -I 8 r The invention al-sminclndesa hook member 2 0 used in cooperation' witlr the: clamping member 6 certain circumstances as will be hereinafter explained-r Thea-hook -member 20; illustrated Figures 3 and l lias an elongated body 21 pro vided with eyes 22 for: receivingand holding a bolt parall'el to thegbod y 2 I Assho-wn' imFigur-e 4 the: eyes '22 may be separateg to redl'iee weight; l but an-y suitable eye 'means such' asone cylinder of suffiient length fdr the. purposestated wilt l suffice; A finger:- 23.extends from the body 2 I orto each other.

beyond the eyes 22 and parallel to and ofiset tnererrom so as to provide a space 24 to receive a bar or like ob ect hooked between the finger and a bolt held in the eyes.

In using the clamps 6 to support building forms for pouring concrete walls and like operations, the clamps are used in combination with suitable bolts 25 and Wales 26. The wales 26 may be lumber 01 tne slze commonly called two-by-i'our, or similar pieces, and are arranged in pairs. As shown in Figure 1, these pairs of wales will ordinarily be arranged to approach a wall corner at substantially the same level, and in this case a pair of clamps 6 and one bolt 25 will sufiiceto tension and to align each two opposed pairs of ture of said head and enlarging toward the convex side of. said head.

wales. The cross-bar 8 and shank l of a. clamp is inserted between the two wales of a pair, and

the clamp is rotated to bring the cross-arm 8 to bear upon the side of the wales nearest the building forms and the cross-arm II to bear against the opposite or outer side of the wales. The dimensions or a clamp 6 Will vary'with the dimensions of the lumber used for wales, but the shank 1 between the cross-arms 8 and II should be suiiiciently long to permit the clamp 6 to lie obliquely to the wales with the cross-arms at opposite sides of the wales, and the cross-arm II should be suificiently' long to permit the points I! to grip the upper and lower sides of the wales and thus maintain the wales in spaced relationship.

It may be noted that the points ll may be on either or both of the cross-arms, but for convenience in inserting the cross-arm 8 between the wales, they are preferably only on the crossarm ll.

With the clamps B so placed in relation to the wales 26, a bolt is placed through the eyes ill of theclampsand is tensioned by a nut 21 and suitable washers 28. Leverage is thus applied to the clamps to force the holding edges l3 and I6 to grip the wales firmly, and the pairs of wales will be tensioned toward each other at the rightv angle bisected by the perpendicular to the bolt 25. Due to the convex seats l8 upon which the bolt-heads pull, the bolt will assume the desired degree angle to each pair of wales, although the two clamps may have difierent obliquity with respect to their respective pairs of wales.

In the event that the pairs of wales approach the corner of the wall at different levels, so as to be staggered vertically as shown in Figure 3, a bar 30 is set up at the corner. The clamps 6 are inserted in the wales in the usual manner, and the hooks 20 are hooked upon the bar and tensioned to the clamps by the bolts 25. The elongated bodies of the bolts, extending on the opposite side of the bar 30 from the respective clamps 6-, permit the use of the same length of bolt as would be used to connect: two clamps. The bar 30 will be held rigidly as a corner brace when the wales are staggered as shown in Figure 3.

With the system of clamps, or of clamps, hooks. and a bar, as herein. described, it is not necessary to nail the wales to the forms or to corner posts Spacer posts, not shown, may be used to offset the wales from the forms which they support, to permit insertion and rotation of the clamps 6, and the forms may be braced on their interior sides in the usual manner. When the bolts 25 are loosened and, removed, the exterior system of wales and forms will disintegrate to its constituent parts without further labor.

'I wish it to be understood that the specific forms of clamps 6 and hooks 20 herein illustrated and described are to be interpreted only as exam- 2. A clamp for building forms having a shank, a cross-member forming a T with said shank, a cross-arm parallel with said cross-member and having-end-points directed substantially at right angles to the plane inclusive of said cross-member and said cross-arm, and a head extending from said shank beyond said cross-arm and-havingan eye for receivingja bolt or the like, the surface of said head on the side thereof opposite to said end-points being convex and said eye being radial to said convex surface.

3. A clamp for building forms having a shank and parallel cross arms on said shank, said shank being adapted to be inserted between two of said forms, said cross-armsengaging said two forms on opposite sides when said shank is turned at a right angle from its position during insertion, points on one of said'cross-arms for engaging the outer sides of said formto hold said form in spaced relationship, anda head portion extending beyond one of said cross-arms and having an eye axially normal to said cross-arms for receiving a bolt or the like and having a curved surface forming a convex seat for a bolt-head.

4. In clampingmechanism for building forms, in combination with opposed pairs of wales arranged to hold said forms so as to define a corner: clamps individual to each of said pairs, each of said clamps having a shank portion adapted to be inserted between the wales of the pair respective to said clamp, and having spaced cross-arms adapted to engage opposite sides of said wales when said shanks have been so inserted and then rotated, and having angulated points on the ends of one of said cross-arms for then engaging'the outer sides of said wales to prevent spreading of said wales, said cross-arms being spaced apart a distance greaterthan the width of said wales whereby said clamp may be disposed at an angle to said wales, and a head in extension of said shank having an eye therein; and bolt means engageable in' said eyes for drawing the clamps of opposed pairs of wales convergently, and pivotally upon said cross-arms; said heads having curved surfaces providing convex seats whereon said bolt means may pivot to assume angular relationshipto said clamps'varying with the angular relationship of said clamps to said wales.

5. In clamping mechanism for building forms, in combination with staggered pairs of wales arranged to hold said forms so as to define a corner: clamps individual to each of said pairs, each of said clamps having a shank portion adapted to be inserted between the. wales of the pair respective to said clamp, and having spaced cross-arms adapted to engage opposite sides of said wales when said shanks have been so inserted and then rotated, and having angulated points on the ends .of one of said cross-armsfor then engaging the outer sides of said wales to prevent spreading of said wales, said. cross-arms being spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said wales whereby said clamp may be disposed at an angle to said wales, and a head in extension of said shank having an eye therein; a bar; hook means engageable with said bar in opposition to each of said clamps and having eyes for receiving a bolt; and bolt means respective to each of said clamps and the hook means opposed thereto and engageable in the eyes thereof to tension said clamps toward said bar.

6. In mechanism for clamping associated parallel wales for the support of building forms, the combination of: a bolt; a bar; a hook having a finger for engaging said bar and eye-means receptive to said bolt and adapted to hold said bolt parallel to said finger; and a clamping mem' her having a shank and parallel cross-arms on said shank so spaced that when said cross-arms engage opposite sides of said wales said shank may lie obliquely to said wales, and having a head in extension of said shank beyond one of said cross-arms and an eye in said head receptive to said bolt and elongated to permit said bolt to lie obliquely to said shank.

'7. In mechanism for clamping associated parallel wales for the support of building forms, the combination of: a clamp having a shank for insertion between two of said wales, a first crossmember forming a T with said shank for engaging one side of said two wales, a second crossmember parallel with said first cross-member for engaging the opposite sides of said two wales, one of said cross-members having end-points directed substantially at right angles to the plane inclusive of said cross members, and a head extending from said shank beyond said second cross-member and having an eye, the surface of said head on the side thereof opposite to said end-points being convex and said eye being radial to said convex surface; and bolt means including a member passing through said eye having retaining means at one end seated on said convex surface and means at the other end for drawing said retaining means against said convex surface, thereby to hold said member in angular relationship to said clamp varying with the angular relationship of said clamp to said wales.

8. In mechanism for clamping wales associated in pairs and arranged to support building forms so as to define a corner: clamps individual to each of said pairs, each of said clamps having a shank portion adapted to be inserted between the wales of the pair respective to said clamp, and having spaced cross-arms adapted to engage opposite sides of said wales when said shanks have been so inserted and then rotated, and having angulated points on the ends of one of said cross-arms for then engaging the outer sides of said wales to prevent spreading of said wales, said cross-arms being spaced apart a distance greater than the width of said wales whereby said clamp may be disposed at an angle to said wales; and a head in extension of said shank having an eye therein and a convex surface surrounding said eye on the side of said head opposite to said points; and means for drawing toward said corner the clamps of pairs of wales defining opposite sides of said corner, inclusive of means passing through said eyes and pivoted on said convex surfaces.

9. A clamp for building forms having a shank and parallel cross arms on said shank, said shank being adapted to be inserted between two of said forms, said cross-arms engaging said two forms on opposite sides when said shank is turned at a right angle from its position during insertion, points on one of said cross arms for engaging the outer sides of said forms to hold said forms in spaced relationship, and a head portion extending beyond one of said cross arms and having an eye axially normal to said cross arms for receiving a bolt or the like, said eye being elongated in the axial direction of said shank to permit said bolt to be angulated'with respect to said shank in a plane normal to the plane of said cross-arms and parallel to said shank.

EARL JACK MCGOUGH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 406,285 Jones July 2, 1889 1,433,830 Lampert Oct. 31, 1922 1,876,787 Straud Sept. 13, 1932 

